Local oscillations of on-die supply voltage a reliability issue

On-die measurements of $V-{\rm DD}$ and $V-{\rm SS}$ voltages inside a 90-nm VLSI technology chip are presented. The results show local fluctuations in the $V-{\rm DD}$ and $V-{\rm SS}$ voltages with amplitudes that can reach, in severe cases, more than 10% of $V-{\rm DD}$. These fluctuations can distort analog signals, cause immediate logic faults, and also aggravate other reliability wear-out mechanisms. Both measurements and simulations predict the aggravation of this phenomenon for future technologies.